The Dangers Of Suffering Silently

It's hard to sit here tonight and have anything but compassion and empathy for the Lemieux family. The ovation that Claude Lemieux got before Game Three when he walked down the tunnel with the torch to inspire everyone who loved the Montreal Canadiens was awesome. Therein lies the problem with mental health: it's a pain that no one else sees of feels as we try to make sense of Claude Lemieux taking his own life four days after that magical appearance in Montreal. More than ever, mental health has to be discussed.

For the longest time, he was framed as a villain for how he played the game, specifically in the playoffs where his agitation skills and hockey talents combined into a force that could take over games. The man played over 21 seasons in the NHL, amassing 379 goals and 407 assists in 1215 games. Add in his penalty minute totals of 1775, and he was one of the league's top power forwards for a number of years while playing with Montreal, New Jersey, Colorado, Phoenix, Dallas, and San Jose. Five times, he would hit the 30-goal mark.

The playoffs saw him shine, and that's where Lemieux elevated his game. He went from goal-scoring power forward to an absolute menace for star players, often shadowing them for entire series while still chipping in with his brand of offence. Four Stanley Cups are proof that he was important to teams as he was often lauded for his grittiness, his ability to get under the skin of opponents, and his solid defensive play. In each of the four Stanley Cup seasons where he won, Lemieux never scored less than ten points in the playoffs.

That's what made the news of hearing that the Palm Beach County Sherriff's Office deputies responded just after 3am to the scene of an apparent suicide at the family's furniture store in Lake Park, Florida early Thursday morning. One of his sons discovered Lemieux's body in the rear of the warehouse, and it was confirmed late on Thursday that the victim was indeed the late, great Claude Lemieux.

Lemieux is survived by his wife, Deborah, and his four children, Brendan, Claudia, Michael and, Christopher. I can't imagine the pain and sorrow they're experiencing in this time of loss. My thoughts are with them and Claude's extended family and friends at this time.

I'm not here to lay blame. I'm not here to suggest that someone should have noticed. This is what makes mental health issues so hard to diagnose and treat: it's a silent problem until the person suffering talks about it. Maybe Claude wasn't that person where he shared intimate details about himself. Maybe it was a little bit of pride and old-school hockey thinking that kept Claude from talking about his personal battle. Whatever the case, we may never know now.

With Victor Hedman talking about the struggles he faced, Linus Ullmark opening up about his mental health, and Connor Ingram seeking help for his mental health battles, the stigma that surrounds mental health struggles needs to end. It's not a stretch to suggest that lives are at stake, and it's even more important that retired players are encouraged to discuss mental health openly after their eras in the NHL downplayed any and all mental health issues.

My hope is that, after the required grieving time is taken, the Lemieux family can begin putting the pieces back together. This kind of news can shatter families, and I hope they get the counseling and support they need to work through this tragedy. As I noted on the Victor Hedman article, there are a pile of great resources for anyone seeking help and wanting to talk about their mental battles.

The Canadian Mental Health Association can be reached 24/7 by dialing or texting 9-8-8, there are many provincial resources that can help, the Kids Help Phone has info and resources for younger people seeking help, HeadsUpGuys has mental health resources specifically for men, Indigenous Peoples can get 24/7 help through Hope For Wellness, and the Women's Health Clinic offers assistance to women, Two-Spirit, genderqueer, trans and non-binary people. All of these organizations are incredible at helping those who ask for help.

My heart and thoughts go out to Claude Lemieux's family and friends. Losses on the ice are hard sometimes, but the loss of a legend like Claude Lemieux leaves an unfixable hole in the hockey world.

Whatever his struggle was, it's over. Rest in eternal peace, Claude.

Until next time, raise your sticks high to honour Claude Lemieux!